Candied Ginger Sables

These turned out to be so easy and delicious, we were surprised! Don't be deterred by the amount of ginger included and DON'T overmix the dough. Just go long enough to ensure the flour is incorporated.

Candied Ginger Sables

1/2 pound unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup finely chopped candied ginger

In the bowl of a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together the butter, brown sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy.

In a medium bowl, whisk the flour with the ground ginger and salt. Add these to the butter mixture and beat on low speed until the ingredients are just combined.

Add the candied ginger and beat for a few more seconds to incorporate. Divide the dough in half and gently roll into two slim cylinders of about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Wrap the cylinders tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours.

When you are ready to bake the cookies, preheat the oven to 350°F. At this point, if the cylinders have slumped or flattened at all, re-roll them a bit to make them perfectly round. Cut the dough into 1/4-inch slices and arrange them an inch apart on baking sheets (use parchment paper if your baking sheets are dark).

Bake the cookies until they are light golden around the edges, about 15 minutes. Cool for a few minutes on the baking sheets and then transfer the cookies to a rack to cool completely.

Dust lightly with confectioners' sugar.

Yield: 60 cookies